HT 7-12 FT 7-31
Whilst Ealing went away with the expected five points, a determined and defiant Cambridge pushed them all the way at Grantchester Road, and, indeed trailed by just five points with 10 minutes left on the clock.
After a first half in the belligerent breeze, the Blood & Sand were 7-12 down at the break, with Leicester Tigers loan wing Kesena Izu announcing himself in spectacular fashion, scorching down the right wing from try line to try for one of the tries of the season. Ruaridh Dawson added the extras. Either side of that, Trailfinders took 22 minutes to make their breakthrough through Toby Cousins with a 15-metre burst, and, just before the interval, hooker Harry Thompson got over in the corner. George Warboys converted Cousins score.
Ealing director of rugby Ben Ward was glad his side eventually got over the line and kept their unbeaten record intact, saying, “If you look at Cambridge all season, all our analysis shows they’re good for the first half, 50 minutes, and have been unlucky not to win some games. There was a massive moment around 60 minutes when we were defending our line with a 5 point lead and if they score, it’s a different game. We were fortunate to come away with the line intact with some heroic defence, and it’s those small moments in rugby that define games in rugby. It took the sting out of the game. Until 65-70 minutes it was in the balance, and there were some really good battles out there. I thought Cambridge were a credit to the Champ today.”
There were two defining moments – Ealing’s huge defensive block – and, with Cambridge looking to reduce the 5 point deficit, they contrived to throw an intercepted pass in midfield which was gobbled up by Pat Campbell. The ex-Munster man gleefully ran it in and, effectively, ended the hosts’ resistance. Jordan Holgate brought up the try bonus point. Campbell added his second in overtime. And Cambridge, despite a Herculean effort on the day, ran out of games and mathematical variables to ensure a bottom of the table finish and a return to National League One.
Craig Newby described his side’s performance as one of, if not their best, of the season: “The boys were outstanding today. The effort and the heart and the fight are expected – but the detail, execution and connection were all there. We’re disappointed – we probably had two or three opportunities to put some more pressure on the scoreboard. But I’m extremely proud of them today – not just as men but as a team. It was ‘David against Goliath’ today – and we pushed them all the way. Ealing showed their class in the end. But we’ve got a lot to take into Coventry next Friday”.
Teams
Cambridge
Currie 7, Izu 8, Reweti 7, Sorrell 8 (Mausia 76 HIA), Caven 7 (Pearson 54, 7), Mausia 6 (Beamand 47, 7), Dawson 8; Ellwood 7 (Maka 69), Stewart 6 ( Doorey- Palmer 51, 7), Walker 7 (Wulf-Masoe 63, 6), Lawrence 7 (Thomas 63, 7), Baxter 8 (McKay 58, 7), Fulford 8, Johnson 8 (Yallop 69), Adams (C) 8
Ealing Trailfinders
Dykes 7 (Parry 36 7), Cousins 8, Bird-Tulloch 6, Holgate 7, Campbell 8, Worboys 7 (Scannell 63 6), Hampson 7 (Stronge 76); Kenny 7 (Chilvers 47 7), Thompson 7 (Buckley 47 7), Alo 7 (Sheck 47 7), Irvine 7, Cutmore 7 (Jurevicius 61 7), Hatherell 7, Oliver 7 (Taylor 40 7), Mann 7
Scorers
Cambridge – Tries – Izu 29 Conversion – Dawson 30
Ealing Trailfinders – Tries – Cousins 20, Thompson 32, Campbell 70, 79 Holgate 76 Conversions – Worboys 21, Scannell 77, 80